Out of Sight
by SassyJ
Summary: Short drabble-y fic about love and friendship.
1. Chapter 1

"Does he know?" She looked sideways at the doctor.

The man nodded, and something twanged deep in her heart. He didn't deserve this. She thanked the doctor and pushed open the door, walking up to the bed. His life was changed forever.

They had pledged to protect each other. They'd never believed that they would need it. Now he needed her. In a strange kind of way she needed him, his presence in her life was reassuring. He understood her. She understood him. He was a fighter, he would never just give in.

He heard her footsteps and tilted his head. "Jo?" A funny little thrill in her soul, he sounded hopeful, longing. She smiled, the smile had a hint of tears, but her voice was steady. "Nothing gets by you." She sat down next to his bed. He put out his hand and she took it. His fingers trembled a little, but she held firm.

Part of her wanted to gather him into her arms and promise him that it would all be alright. But it wasn't going to be, and they both knew it.

"You know, don't you?"

He smiled, it was a little wobbly, but she was so proud of him. "That the light has gone out forever? Yes." There was the slightest hint of a catch in his voice, and she put her hand up to his cheek, gently stroking with her thumb.

"Jo... I release you from any responsibility you think that you may have."

Jo's thumb trembled for a second against his cheek. "But I don't accept that release. We're in this together."

"Even though you have to lead a blind man around by the hand for the rest of his life?" No mistaking the catch in his voice.

She framed his face with her hands, "Stu. It's you and me, hun. That's a promise. Blind or sighted." She knew that his sight was gone, when they took the bandages off it would make no difference, the blow to his head had affected his optic nerve.

For a second she rested her forehead against his. Those beautiful, expressive brown eyes, with the light gone out forever. It was a physical pain she felt.

He put his hands up, framing her face. He could face anything, even blindness, with his best friend. He didn't need sight, her face was in his mind's eye always.


	2. Chapter 2

THUMP!

Jo put the kettle down, as a quickly stifled curse filtered back from somewhere along the hall. "SAM!" she glared at the petite blonde sitting at the kitchen table. Sam looked up.

"What's the matter?"

"For god's sake, Stu is _blind_. We leave doors all the way open, or all the way closed here. That way he _doesn't_ bang into them." Without waiting for a reply Jo went to find him.

He was standing in the hallway, muttering under his breath and rubbing his forehead. "Stu." She took his hand in hers, "sorry hun."

"Not your fault," he said grumpily, "Had the feeling that letting HER stay before she marries Phil wasn't such a great idea."

"ssshhhh...let me have a look" Jo gently stroked around the bruise which was already forming above his right eye. He was doing his best, being blind was really tough on him, but Stu's naturally stubborn refusal to give in and drive to succeed were getting somewhere. He was starting to adapt.

"Cup of tea?"

"Thought you would never ask." He held his arm out to her, Jo slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, he was so proud of his ability to navigate around _their_ home. She smiled, giving his arm a little squeeze.

He smiled. Jo's unfailing support made his life bearable. Knowing that his sight was gone forever terrified him, but with his best friend's help he was starting to cope.

# # # # #

"I'm meeting Terry and Mickey at the pub." Stu found the edge of the table with his fingers and guided the mug down onto its surface. He pushed his chair back.

Sam looked up. "How are you getting there?" Concern evident in her tone.

"Walking." He put out a hand and felt the edge of the table, took a step back and turned, heading for the hallway.

"Stu, I don't think that's a good idea." Sam followed him. "Jo?"

Jo raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Sam spread her hands wide.

"Got everything, hun?" Jo gently straightened out his jacket collar. "Yeah." He smiled at her and put his hand out, she took it and squeezed his fingers, silently slipping her front door keys into her pocket with her free hand. Sam raised an eyebrow and Jo frowned.

"Off you go then." He reached out to open the front door and went out closing it behind him.

They could see his outline through the glass, and Jo waited until he had moved off the top step before opening the door.

Quietly they slipped out behind him. Sam started to say something, caught the intent look on Jo's face and subsided. They slipped down the stairs and followed him.

Sam watched her friend as they followed Stuart, the mixture of emotions which crossed Jo's expressive face as he used the white stick to orientate himself on the pavement. He reached the pub without incident and they watched him inside.

Jo turned away.

"So that's what you do?" Sam gently put a hand over Jo's and squeezed it. "Follow him."

Jo's eyes were slightly over bright. "He's only been blind for five months, if anything happened I couldn't forgive myself."


	3. Chapter 3

Sam picked up the paper from the front door mat, and headed for the kitchen. She had two days off before the wedding, and was planning a leisurely day.

"Stuart!" she paused in the kitchen doorway, startled.

He was standing in front of the kitchen counter, the kettle in his hand. As she spoke his head turned, his eyes unfocused seemingly peering at a point somewhere to her left, and the fact of his blindness hit her all the harder. She moved forwards quickly, reaching out as though to take the kettle out of his hand. "Stuart, you better let me take that."

He shook his head, "Sam... I can do this." He moved the kettle over the sink, reaching out to feel for the tap, he brought the kettle beneath the pipe and reached out to twist the tap on. She watched as he felt around with his hands, _seeing_ the base of the kettle, setting the full jug down on it, pressing the switch.

"I have to learn, you see." He said quietly, "I can dress myself, I can wash... and I'm even learning how to shave... I can feed myself... so I have to be able to cook too."

"Oh Stu." Sam's lower lip trembled.

"I won't be a burden to Jo. She's given me so much."

She put her hand on his arm. "Jo loves you, you know, it's not a question of burden."

"I know she does, but it's important. And I love her." He sighed heavily. "This _is_ my life now, Sam. I have to make the best of it." He tilted his head slightly, "now, can I make you a cup of tea?" His fingers covered hers, and she looked up into his face. Trying to read the signs.

_Making a mess of it._ She squeezed his hand. "I thought you'd never ask." She said deliberately.


	4. Chapter 4

"Home?" Jo stepped close to Stuart, putting her hand on his arm. The last half hour of the wedding party she could sense a certain tension in him. _Probably something to do with the fuss Sam's been making_.

It was Sam and Phil's wedding day, Sam wanted everything to be perfect, and she was determined to include Stu in every possible way. Stu really hated the fuss she was making over him but was powerless to stop it.

"Yes, please." Stu took Jo's hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. The bride and groom had left ten minutes before and they were free to leave the party, which was fine by Stuart. He could almost feel the pitying glances of his former colleagues. Stu shook his head slightly, living without sight was tough, and he hated it, but this was his life now. He had to make the best of what he had.

Ironically, it was his old rival Phil Hunter, who had done his best to include Stu without the unnecessary tide of sentimentality and Stu was grateful for it.

_And Jo._ It was funny, he decided, his ability to read people had improved greatly since he had lost his sight. Her hand in his elbow, he could feel her sympathy. Not pity, simply understanding why he was feeling tense. Yet she said nothing. Just stood there at his side, walked with him, subtle indications of the pressure of her fingers guiding him, but giving him the illusion that he was guiding her. The illusion that they were still equals in capability.

Jo's support was never ending. She encouraged him, supported his decisions, and loved him for who he was. He worried that he was preventing her from living her life to the full. He'd said as much. _Nonsense_ she'd said, _any partner who couldn't accept that he was an essential part of her life wasn't a relationship worth having._

That was the end of the argument. The depth of his friend's love for him humbled Stuart. He thought back to all the times he'd been less than a good friend, how she had constantly forgiven him for his faults. His love for Jo grew.

"Stu?"

"Huh?" He turned his head towards the sound of her voice, realising he would give anything to be able to see her face again, even if only for a few moments. Distress and frustration mingled and he was startled by the feeling of wetness on his cheeks.

"Oh Stu." Her hands were on his shoulder his cheek, turning him towards her, her arms slid round his neck and then he was leaning into her. As ever, her presence calmed him.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Nothing to be sorry for." He felt her lips on his cheek, he dug deep and managed a wobbly smile. Her fingers gently stroked his face, "I told you, we're in this together." She paused. "A shame that today was so full on, but you coped brilliantly."

He almost grinned. "It didn't feel so great at the time. But today wasn't about me, it was Phil and Sam."

They got out of the car, and she came round the side to take his arm. "Drink on the terrace?"

"Now you're talking."

* * *

He sat at the table on the terrace, and breathed in slowly, the early evening air just starting to chill a little. Footsteps behind him, glass set down on the table next to him. His hand strayed towards the sound. "Just to the left, Stu." His fingers encircled the stem, the scrape of a chair, somewhere in the distance the sound of a horn.

"What's that?"

"A boat on the river."

The chair scraped again, and footsteps moved away to the edge of the terrace.

"It's a beautiful evening."

He smiled and held out his free hand. Warm fingers closed over his. "Tell me." He said.

She held his hand and talked. He sipped his wine slowly and let her words flow over him, as a feeling of peace settled into his soul. He was home.


End file.
